Lead Faculty: Professor Tami Panhuis
Second Instructor: Professor Dustin Reichard
Travel Destination: Ecuador and Galapagos Islands
Prerequisites: One unit of any BIOL course (or BOMI/ZOOL) and permission of instructor
Travel Timing: May 20 - June 1, 2026
Anticipated Student Cost: $4,850
Course Summary: Island Biology devotes a semester to the study of the Galapagos Islands and the processes that shape their unique flora and fauna. We will focus on the theory and processes that relate to island biology, emphasizing evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral phenomena. After extensive study in the classroom, the class will travel to the mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands to observe the ecological landscape that has shaped evolutionary theory and biology since Charles Darwin's first observations. During the travel portion of the course, students will have a unique opportunity to put theory-into-practice by immersing themselves into the plants and animals of the Galapagos Islands and surrounding marine life. All students will conduct an independent research project in the field and share their research through a presentation and final report. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and one unit in BIOL (BOMI or ZOOL).
Capabilities Statement: The trip will include long travel days in the air, on a bus, and in a boat. Students should be comfortable with uncomfortable conditions (e.g., high heat, humidity, sun, rough seas, crowds, and occasional pit toilets). We will spend a short time at relatively high elevation and a good deal of moderate hiking in warm weather with steep slopes. Participants should be capable of boat travel with rough seas and rocky landings between the boat and the shore. Those prone to seasickness should obtain necessary medicine prior to the trip. Space on the boat is limited, and students should be comfortable sharing a small cabin. As the islands are situated on the Equator and offer little cover, students should be prepared for exposure to intense sun and heat. Good swimming skills are needed for snorkeling, as some areas have strong currents. Certain vaccinations may be recommended or required for entry into Ecuador. We will also be traveling for 14 days, so students should be prepared to be away from home for that amount of time.
Lead Faculty: Professor Laurie Anderson
Travel Destination: Alaska
Prerequisites: ENVS 112 or BIOL 122 plus one additional biological science course, or permission of the instructor
Travel Timing: May 12-24, 2026
Anticipated Student Cost: $2,000
Course Summary: Plant Responses to Global Change is an upper-level biology course focused on plant physiological ecology. The course is organized around four major global environmental changes: increases in atmospheric CO2, increases in temperature, increases in nitrogen deposition, and changes in precipitation patterns. We will explore how plants and ecosystems interact with these changes and the implications of these interactions for plant growth and survival, global biogeochemical cycles, and the future of the biosphere. We will also discuss the scientific instruments, experimental designs, field sampling, and statistical/modelling approaches used in physiological ecology studies that have a global change context. The boreal/tundra region of Alaska, which has experienced the most dramatic warming of any location on the globe, will be used as a case study to explore these topics more deeply. We will also consider human influences on boreal/tundra areas and think about how environmental policy, resource extraction, and consumption choices of people influence this environment.
The class will travel to Alaska after graduation in May 2026 for 10 to 13 days depending on flight availability. In Alaska, students will explore the natural landscape to review plants and ecosystem characteristics discussed in class, visit research sites, and talk with scientists, national park staff, and conservationists working in one of the most beautiful and wild areas of the United States.
Capabilities Statement: Travel for this course may involve prolonged strenuous hiking on steep and/or uneven terrain (e.g., moss tussock, wetland, talus field, moraine, glacier ice). Participants should be capable of hiking up to 5 miles in difficult terrain with a 20 lb pack. Hiking boots and a high-quality rain jacket are required for the trip.
Lead Faculty: Professor Cliff Hurst
Second Instructor: Leigh Mascolino
Travel Destination: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Travel Timing: Mid-May, 2026
Anticipated Student Cost: $2,500
Course Summary: Social entrepreneurship teaches the use of business principles for the purpose of doing good in the world. Historically, it has been widely maintained that the sole purpose of a business was to make a profit. The goal of doing good was left to charity, philanthropy, and advocacy groups. Fortunately, this is beginning to change.
This course wades into this still-evolving concept known as social entrepreneurship to introduce students to this new way of thinking—a way of thinking that builds upon a synthesis between business principles and the pursuit of social and environmental "good." This parent course fulfills the core competency of "Act Responsibly" as defined in the Core Competencies Guide. The optional travel-learning component will occur at the end of the semester, immediately after graduation and entails a 10-day trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam is widely recognized as a center for social entrepreneurship.
Students in the TLC will experience first-hand the range of socially-minded businesses and non-profits operating in Amsterdam. They will learn what the city of Amsterdam does to support social entrepreneurship in its region. Upon completion of this trip, students will be able to compare and contrast dominant perspectives of the theory of business as practiced in the United States and Amsterdam.
Prerequisites: Business 260 is an upper-level course without prerequisites. The TLC portion of the course is open to students who enroll in Business 260 in the Spring of 2026, or who completed this course in the Fall of 2025.
Capabilities: Amsterdam is a pedestrian-friendly city. We will walk a lot (and take trains, trams, and canal boats). Activities will include a plastic-fishing expedition with the Plastic Whale and a dining experience completely in the dark at C-Taste Restaurant. We will take an extended e-bikeride through the nearby windmill region. Accommodation can be made for student who are not able to ride an e-bike.
Lead Faculty: Professor Xiaoming Chen
Second Instructor: Dr. Scarlett Rebman
Travel Destinations: Japan and Taiwan
Prerequisites: None
Travel Timing: May 10-22, 2026
Anticipated Student Cost: $3,000
Course Summary: The parent course of HIST 116 fulfills the core competency of "Examine Power & Inequities." It covers the history of modern Japan, Taiwan, (South) Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The optional travel-learning component of the class (.25 credit) will take place at the end of the spring semester right after graduation.
Students in the travel-learning section of the class will spend six days in Japan and five days in Taiwan. Through visitation of various historical sites and participating in traditional cultural activities, they will visualize history and gain further knowledge on the complexities of power and inequities that the Japanese and Taiwan people experienced in the past centuries.
In Japan, the students will visit places such as the Tokyo Imperial Palace, the SCAP building, Shibuya, Roppongi Hills Observatory, Mount Fuji, Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, and Himeji feudal castle in Kyoto. They will also participate in a "Kimono tea ceremony and samurai sword training experience combo" in Tokyo.
The places that the students will visit in Taiwan include: Fort San Dominga (Town of Red Hair People,) the Palace Museum in Taipei, the National 228 Memorial Museum in Taipei, and the Museum of Nine Tribes of Taiwan Aborigines at Sun Moon Lake. The students will participate in the Baishatun Marching Worship of Matsu in Taichung, and will have dinners at Taipei's famous Shihlin Night Food Market and the Ximending Night Market. (Google it: You can visualize these food markets online!) (It is more than food, actually. While tasting the many varieties of delicious food, the students will learn from Dr. Chen about the history and culture behind the food—especially the connection between Chinese culture and the culture of Taiwan.)
The travel-learning component of the course is open to students who enroll in History 116 in spring 2026, and those who completed this course in 2025, 2024, and 2023.
Capabilities Statement: Some walking is expected on Mount Fuji, during the Baishatun Marching Worship of Matsu, and in the cities of Japan and Taiwan.
Lead Faculty: Professors Liz Nix and Christopher Fink
Travel Destination: Cuba
Prerequisites: None
Travel Timing: March 7-15, 2026 (Spring Break)
Anticipated Student Cost: $2,500
Course Summary: This course is designed to develop system thinking and apply these skills to food systems studies, particularly in the US and Cuba. The food system plays a crucial role in various fields, including public health, nutrition, social justice, and environmental studies. Understanding the food system is central to gaining perspective on various concerns, such as climate change, food security, workers' rights, and nutritional status, and to understanding the range of determinants of such concerns. Students interested in nutrition, health promotion, and other related fields must move beyond just the physiological and behavioral principles of dietary health, and carry forward a solid background in systems thinking into their academic growth. A strong understanding of the food system is also essential for environmental sustainability and socio-political issues. However, food systems can differ greatly between regions and countries, which play a crucial role on the health and well-being of these countries' people, plants, soil, and animals. This course will start with a brief historical perspective on food production and acquisition in the United States (US), and will highlight the key components, processes, relationships, drivers, and outcomes that are common in food systems around the world. We will use case studies and examples from Cuba to illustrate the differences and concerns between these two countries and how the complex factors of the food system, particularly climate and policy, influence the health and food adequacy of the people of these countries.
Capabilities: Students should be in good physical condition and be prepared for a variety of physical activities including, walking, hiking, farming, etc. Students will have limited access to the internet and cell phone data and should plan accordingly.